ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
President's Secretariat
President’s Holi Greetings
The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind in his message on the eve of Holi has said:-
“On the auspicious occasion of Holi, I extend my greetings to all the fellow citizens in India and abroad.
Holi, the festival of colours is also a major festival of the spring season. It is a festival of social harmony which celebrates joy, delight and hope in the lives of people. It gives us message of social integration and fraternity. At the same time, it also inspires people to come together in making a New India which is built on the foundation of amity, unity and harmony.
May this festival of great zeal and fervour further strengthen the spirit of nationalism which is integral to our cultural diversity.”
Ministry of Commerce & Industry
The exports of Shallots reach an all-time high with a growth of 487% since 2013
Pineapple exports see a boom with a growth of 100 % since 2013
India’s merchandise exports touch USD 336 Billion approximately in January 2022
Government takes several innovative steps to fast-track the growth of exports
India's export of Shallots sees a boom with a growth of 487% since 2013. Exports rose from USD 2 Million in April-December 2013 to USD 11.6 Million in April-December 2021.
Major export destinations during April-December 2021 were Sri Lanka , Malaysia , Thailand , U Arab E  & Singapore .
India’s export of Pineapple also rose by almost 100% to USD 3.26 Million during April-December 2021 compared to USD 1.63 Million during April-December 2013.
Major export destinations for Pineapple during April-December 2021 were U A E , Nepal , Qatar , Maldives  & U S A .
India has been seeing consistent growth in exports. It may be noted that India’s merchandise export in January 2022 increased by 23.69% to USD 34.06 billion over USD 27.54 billion in January 2021; recording an increase of 31.75% over USD 25.85 billion in January 2020.
India’s merchandise export in 2021-22  rose by 46.53% to USD 335.44 billion over USD 228.9 billion in 2020-21 ; marking an increase of 27.0% over USD 264.13 billion in 2019-20 .
The government has been taking up a number of proactive steps to boost exports. An export monitoring desk has been set up to help remove impediments, constraints and bottlenecks faced by the export sector, especially during the pandemic.
Various Acts under the Department of Commerce are being reviewed to remove redundancies and outdated provisions.
Several bilateral trade agreements are being pursued with great vigour. The government is committed towards developing each district in India as an export hub through initiatives such as One District One Product . Innovative measures such as use of payload carrying drones to address first and last mile connectivity issues are being taken.
Efforts are being made for reducing compliance burden through rationalization and decriminalization and several initiatives are being undertaken to improve the ease of doing business.
Support is also being extended to exporters through various exporters-oriented schemes.
The Government is also working on enhancing value of branding of Indian exports to improve India’s global standing as a reliable supplier and proactive steps are being undertaken to align the nation with the global value chain.
An IT based platform for providing exporters licensing and addressing their grievances is also in the works.
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
Entries for National Awards for Excellence in Journalism.
The Press Council of India, mandated by the Parliament to improve the standards of journalism and to maintain its freedom, has been executing it through its adjudications as well as pronouncements and reports on specific issues by way of constituting Sub-Committee/Fact Finding Committee keeping in view the importance of the subject.
With a view to encourage the media to pursue its duties following the dictum of "Freedom with Responsibility", the Press Council of India, as the only statutory authority enjoying such mandate, has instituted National Awards to honour journalist excelling in print journalism in various fields.
The entries have been invited through public advertisement Notice in prominent National and Regional newspapers. Notice is also uploaded on the Council's website http://www.presscouncil.nic.in under "What's New" head.
Ministry of Defence
Radm Mahesh Singh takes over as Flag Officer Commanding Karnataka Area
Rear Admiral Mahesh Singh, NM assumed charge as Flag Officer Commanding Karnataka Naval Area at a ceremonial parade at Karwar today.
An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, he was commissioned into the #IndianNavy in January 1987 and is a Navigation and Direction specialist. His notable sea appointments include commissioning crew of INS Akshay and Jyoti, Executive Officer of Frigate Tabar and Command of missile vessel INS Nirghat during Op Vijay, MCGS Vigilante whilst on deputation to Government of Mauritius and the LPD INS Jalashwa.
His staff assignments include tenures as Joint Director at the Directorate of Naval Operations and Principal Director at Directorate of Personnel. He has also headed the Navigation and Direction School at Kochi and the Maritime Warfare Centre at Visakhapatnam. He is a post graduate from the Defence Services Staff College and the College of Defence Management Secunderabad. He has also attended a course at the prestigious Royal College of Defence Studies UK. On promotion to the rank of Rear Admiral in October 2016, he was appointed as the Chief Staff Officer  at Headquarters Eastern Naval Command.
The Flag Officer is a recipient of the Nao Sena Medal for Devotion to Duty.
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President's Secretariat
The President Underwent Cardiac Bypass Surgery today Morning at AIIMS, New Delhi
The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind underwent cardiac bypass surgery today morning  at AIIMS, New Delhi.
Surgery was successful.
He is stable and is being closely monitored by a team of Senior Doctors.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
COVID-19 UPDATE
219.55 cr Total Vaccine doses  have been administered so far under Nationwide Vaccination Drive
2,10,617 doses administered in last 24 hours
India's Active caseload currently stands at 23,432
Active cases stand at 0.05%
Recovery Rate currently at 98.76%
2,601 recoveries in the last 24 hours increases Total Recoveries to
4,40,90,349
1,994 new cases recorded in the last 24 hours
Daily positivity rate 
Weekly Positivity Rate 
90.0 cr Total Tests conducted so far; 1,61,290 tests conducted in the last 24 hours
Ministry of Education
Clarification of MHRD regarding draft New Education Policy
The draft National Education Policy document has been submitted to the Minister for HRD by the Chairman Dr Kasturirangan and the members of the Committee yesterday. The Ministry of Human Resource Development has clarified following in this regard:
1. This is a draft Policy submitted by the Committee and is placed for views of the general public. It is not the Policy announced by Government. After getting feedback from general public, and after consulting State Governments, the National Education Policy will be finalised by Government.
2. Government under the leadership of Shri Narendra Modi is committed for equal development and promotion of all Indian languages. There will be no imposition of any language in educational institutions, nor discrimination against any language.
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
Talent identification and grooming of sportspersons for international events is done under Khelo India scheme and sports promotional schemes of SAI: Union Sports Minister
Key Highlights:
Sportspersons are provided competitive exposure and training under the Scheme of Assistance to NSFs and Target Olympic Podium Scheme 
Under TOPS, customized training is provided to the medal probables for international events
Talent identification and grooming of identified sportspersons and teams, including those from rural areas of the country, for their participation in international sports events, including Olympics 2028, is done under the Khelo India Scheme and sports promotional schemes of Sports Authority of India , viz. National Centres of Excellence, SAI Training Centre , Extension Centre of STCs, and National Sports Talent Contest.
Preparation of Indian sportspersons and teams for international events, including Olympics 2028, is a continuous process. Talented sportspersons are provided competitive exposure and training under the Scheme of Assistance to NSFs and Target Olympic Podium Scheme . Under TOPS, customized training is provided to the medal probable’s for international events, including Olympics 2028. Training and competition requirements of various sports including those of Olympics are considered and decided as part of the Annual Calendar of Training and Competitions  in consultation with the concerned National Sports Federations and SAI.
This information was given by Minister of Youth Affairs & SportsShri Anurag Thakur in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
Ministry of Education
Yoga helps to unite the society, Union minister of state for Education, Annapurna Devi
She was addressing the 8th International Yoga Day Celebration at Thanjavur Brihadeeswarar Temple, Tamil Nadu.
She said that Yoga which unites the people of our country will be an inspiration and motivation to unite people from different parts of the world. She expressed her joy to join the large number of students and public to perform yoga at the culturally rich heritage site.
Some consider yoga to be an exercise, but yoga is beyond that. Yoga helps us to clear the distractions & delusions and brings clarity to the mind, the minister said. She also said that yoga helps us to perform our duties, intellectually and efficiently.
On behalf of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, who took the initiative to celebrate International Yoga Day, Minister Smt. Annapurna Devi extends wishers to all those involved in yoga practice today. She also pointed out that yoga, which expresses ancient culture of our country is practiced all over the world today, is a pride to our nation.
Minister has performed yoga along with the Vice Chancellor, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Prof. M. Krishnan, Dr. M. Loganathan, Director, NIFTEM, Thanjavur, S. Sridharan,Yogacharyar, Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, Chennai, Dr. Ramakrishna Reddy, Supriendant Archeologist, ASI and others.
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Ministry of Tribal Affairs
Tribes India: a one-stop shop for upcoming Rakhi festival and other gifting needs
With its attractive and wide range of tribal products ranging from exquisite handicrafts to metal artefacts to apparel and organic herbal produce, Tribes India  is an ideal one-stop destination for gifting your family and friends.
With Rakhi around the corner, the Tribes India catalogue now features an exclusive Rakhi corner, where one can find attractive hand made rakhis from different tribes of India, pooja items such as ornate metal pooja boxes and torans. Other than this, colourful kurtas for both men and women, salwars, jackets in different types of weaves and styles, and a range of sarees, dresses and beautiful stoles in the Maheshwari, Chanderi, Bagh, Kantha, Bhandara, Tussar, Sambhalpuri and Ikat traditions etc are also featured in Tribes India outlets and websites.
In line with its efforts to promote the livelihoods and empower tribals through marketing and development to tribal produce and products, TRIFED has been expanding its diverse and attractive range of products on sale in the Tribes India network.
The 137 Tribes India outlets and e-commerce platform  cater to different types of needs. From the natural and immunity-boosting tribal produce such as organic haldi, dry amla, wild honey, black pepper, ragi, triphala, and lentil mixes such as moong dal, urad dal, white beans, and dalia to artefacts such as paintings be it in the Warli style or Patachitras; from jewellery handcrafted in the Dokra style to bead necklaces from the Wancho and Konyak tribes of the North-
East to the rich and vibrant textiles and silks, namely; from colourful puppets and children’s toys to traditional weaves such as Dongria shawls and Bodo weaves; from metal craft to bamboo products; any and every type of gift item is available here. These can be customised into attractive and customisable gift packs and hampers, depending on the requirements and budget. These gift hampers are packaged in premium organic, recyclable, sustainable packing material, designed by renowned designer Ms. Rina Dhaka exclusively for Tribes India, these make for ideal gifts for any occasion.
Do check out your nearest Tribes India outlet or website as you prepare for this festival of love and protection and look for gifting items.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Cabinet approves setting up of the National Commission for Homoeopathy  Bill, 2018
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the draft National Commission for Homoeopathy, Bill, 2018, which seeks to replace the existing regulator Central Council for Homoeopathy  with a new body to ensure transparency.
The draft bill provides for the constitution of a National Commission with three autonomous boards entrusted with conducting overall education of Homoeopathy by Homoeopathy Education Board. The Board of assessment and rating to assess and grant permission to educational institutions of Homoeopathy and Board of ethics and registration of practitioners of Homoeopathy to maintain National Register and ethical issues relating to practice are under the National Commission forHomoeopathy.
It also proposes a common entrance exam and an exit exam which all graduates will have to clear to get practicing licenses. Further, a teacher's eligibility test has been proposed to assess the standard of teachers before appointment and promotions.
It further aims at bringing reforms in the medical education of Homoeopathy in lines with the National Medical Commission proposed for setting up for Allopathy system of medicine. The CCH had been earlier superseded by Board of Governors through an Ordinance and subsequent amendment of Act.
Ministry of Micro,Small & Medium Enterprises
Government is exploring new financial lending institutions to support small-scale units – Shri Nitin Gadkari
Union Minister for MSME and Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari today said that the government is exploring new financial lending institutions to support small-scale units in terms of financial support. Shri Gadkari said that government is working towards strengthening the NBFCs which will help small businesses to avail easy credit in the coming time.
He was speaking at a meeting via video conferencing with the Members of Calcutta Chamber of Commerce on impact of COVID-19 on MSMEs and the measures taken to address the challenges at hand.
Addressing the members, Shri Gadkari re-iterated that these are trying times as we are waging a war against COVID-19 pandemic as well as the economic instability caused by it. He requested all the stakeholders to work in tandem and urged the industry to maintain a positive attitude during this time to tide over this crisis.
The Minister also stressed on usage of PPE  and advised to maintain social distancing norms in personal life and at work places.
Apprising the representatives of recent announcement on Special Economic Package: Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, he explained various support measures which has been announced for MSMEs such as collateral free automatic loan, distress fund etc. He said that all these measures will provide the required support to MSMEs to face the current economic challenges.
The Minister also informed them that there has been restructuring of 6 lakh MSMEs till March 2020 and the Ministry is aiming to cover additional 25 lakh until December 2020. He added that the current contribution of MSMEs in export is 48%, which may be increased to 60%. He further shared that currently 11 crore jobs have been created through MSMEs and this to be increased to 5 crores.
The Union Minister mentioned that special focus towards export enhancement is the need of the hour. He further added that there is need to reduce our cost on production, logistics etc. to become economically viable. The Minister shared that the Ministry of MSME is working on two booklets to cover details about last three year’s export and import.
Some of the questions asked and the suggestions given included: issue of delayed payment needs additional thrust to ensure timely payment to MSMEs, interest subvention of 4% should be looked at to provide support to MSMEs and safeguard them from becoming an NPA, how banks can be incentivized for proper implementation of proposed measure etc.
Shri Gadkari responded to the questions from representatives and assured all possible help from the government.
Ministry of Finance
India and World Bank sign $250 million project to make existing dams safe and resilient
The Government of India, the Central Water Commission, government representatives from 10 participating states and the World Bank today signed a $250 million project for long-term dam safety program and improving the safety and performance of existing dams across various states of India.
The Second Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project  will strengthen dam safety by building dam safety guidelines, bring in global experience, and introduce innovative technologies. Another major innovation envisaged under the project, that is likely to transform dam safety management, is the introduction of a risk-based approach to dam asset management that will help to effectively allocate financial resources towards priority dam safety needs.
The project will be implemented in approximately 120 dams across the states of Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Odisha, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu, and at the national level through the Central Water Commission . Other states or agencies may be added to the project during project implementation.
The agreement was signed by Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance on behalf of the Government of India; representatives from the state governments of Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Odisha, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu; and Mr. Junaid Ahmad, Country Director, India on behalf of the World Bank.
World Bank support to dam safety in India includes the recently closed DRIP-1  that improved the safety and sustainable performance of 223 dams in six states of India and one central agency.
Other important measures that DRIP-2 will support include flood forecasting systems and integrated reservoir operations that will contribute to building climate resilience; the preparation and implementation of Emergency Action Plans to enable vulnerable downstream communities to prepare for and enhance resilience against the possible negative impacts and risks of climate change; and the piloting of supplemental revenue generation schemes such as floating solar panels.
Ministry of Micro,Small & Medium Enterprises
Loans to MSMES Industries under CGS
All new and existing Micro and Small Enterprises engaged in manufacturing or services including trading activity are eligible to be covered under Credit Guarantee Scheme  implemented by Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises . No eligible proposal is denied. Upto June 30, 2021 CGTMSE has approved 53,86,739 guarantees cumulatively for an amount of Rs. 2,72,007 crore. During the first quarter of Financial Year 2021-22 CGTMSE has reported that guarantee approvals with respect to Banks and NBFCs are Rs. 6,693 crore and Rs. 6,603 crore respectively during first quarter of Financial Year 2021-22 as against Rs. 6,041 crore and Rs. 2,934 crore respectively during first quarter of Financial Year 2020-21.
During Financial Year 2020-21, CGTMSE has approved 22,021 guarantee applications amounting Rs. 1,408 Crore for the State of Telangana.
Government of India has announced a relief package to support Indian Economy including the MSME Sector. This package inter-alia also includes measures such as Rs 1.1 lakh crore loan guarantee scheme for covid affected sectors, additional Rs 1.5 lakh crore for Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme, Credit Guarantee Scheme to facilitate loans to approximately 25 lakh small borrowers through Micro Finance Institutions etc.
This information was given by Minister for Micro. Small and Medium Enterprises Shri Narayan Rane in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
Ministry of Railways
Hon’ble President of India awarded RPF/RPSF personnel with Jeevan Raksha Padak awards
The Hon’ble President of India has awarded the following RPF/RPSF personnel with Jeevan Raksha Padak awards as mentioned below:
- Jeevan Raksha Padak - Shri Jaipal Singh,
Head Constable/ Northern Railway
- Jeevan Raksha Padak - Shri Surendra Kumar,
Constable/Northern Railway
- Jeevan Raksha Padak - Shri Bhuda Ram Saini,
Constable/7th BN/RPSF
On 12.05.2022, in the jurisdiction of Nizamuddin Railway Station between Rly. Km 1532/13 to 1532/25, at about 16:10 hrs BTPN wagon no. 40121185538 caught fire due to technical reasons. At that time about 1000  persons were working at the site. An atmosphere of fear was created after seeing the fire taking a dreadful form. To save their lives, the workers started running here and there in a fit of desperation.
Head Constable Jaipal Singh, Constable Surendra Kumar and Constable Buddha Saini were posted on duty. By showing indomitable courage, without caring for own life, they extinguished the fire taking a dreadful form on BTPN wagon full of highly inflammable material  with the help of fire extinguisher. Had the said fire not been doused immediately, it would have spread to a total of 18 BTPN wagons filled with highly inflammable substance , causing a major accident, threatening the lives of thousands of people and causing damage to railway property worth billions of rupees.
Mr. Jaipal Singh, Mr. Surendra Kumar and Mr. Budhram Saini have saved about 1000 human lives and railway property worth billions by risking their lives, which is a commendable work.